2026 Scottish Financial Services Awards categories
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This award is open to any Scottish based project team, individual or collaboration working in financial services, or organisations providing services to the industry.
The impact of the nomination should have had a positive impact on the sector here in Scotland and, where appropriate, a wider impact.
Nominees will be judged on their ability to demonstrate any, or all, of the following:
Delivering business growth, modernisation or job creation that has had a positive impact on Scotland’s economy
Investment in businesses, projects, or communities which has created demonstrable growth, financial resilience or financial wellbeing
Collaborating across financial services, with government, and with public sector to enable innovative financing models, economic transition and/ or sustainable economic growth across economic cycles
Policy advice or economic expertise that has helped policy makers to make good decisions that support an effective economic recovery
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This award is open to any Scottish based project team, individual or collaboration working in financial services, or organisations providing services to the industry.
The impact of the nomination should have had a positive impact on the sector here in Scotland and, where appropriate, a wider impact.
Nominees will be judged on their ability to demonstrate any, or all, of the following:
Role modelling behaviours that ensure financial services is leading by example and reflecting on its own impact
Inspiring leadership, innovation and expansion in green finance and ESG expertise
Supporting the Scottish economy to transition to net zero
Facilitating work with other sectors to enable decarbonisation and transition
Leading the way in transparent disclosure and commitments on industry standards
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This award is open to any Scottish based project team, individual or collaboration working in financial services, or organisations providing services to the industry.
The impact of the nomination should have had a positive impact on the sector here in Scotland and, where appropriate, a wider impact.
Nominees will be judged on their ability to demonstrate any, or all, of the following:
A continued focus on supporting vulnerable customers, especially through the use of technology or innovation to ensure greater inclusion and fairness
Supporting digital literacy, customer experience transformation and access to financial services
Enabling innovation through collecting and sharing data, analysis or technology on customer insights, demographics and demands
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This award is open to any Scottish based project team, individual or collaboration working in financial services, or organisations providing services to the industry.
The impact of the nomination should have had a positive impact on the sector here in Scotland and, where appropriate, a wider impact.
Nominees will be judged on their ability to demonstrate any, or all, of the following:
Effective upskilling/reskilling of their current talent base with fresh skills to keep up changing demands through their careers
Improving diversity and inclusion, through educating and supporting young people or excluded workforce demographics to access opportunities of working in financial services and broadening pathways into the sector
Supporting innovation in working models to enable flexible and hybrid working to attract new roles, appeal to a wider and more inclusive skills base, and/or support health and wellbeing
Taking a leading role in driving inflows of people and skills in Scotland’s financial services industry through
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This award is open to any Scottish based project team, individual or collaboration working in financial services, or organisations providing services to the industry.
The impact of the nomination should have had a positive impact on the sector here in Scotland and, where appropriate, a wider impact.
Nominees will be judged on their ability to demonstrate any, or all, of the following:
Supporting financial innovation through outstanding use of data, AI and emerging technologies
Use of data, AI and emerging technologies to drive digital transformation or operational resilience
Cutting-edge research, development or thought leadership on data science and artificial intelligence
Use of financial data as a force for social good
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This award recognises success within within Scotland’s vibrant fintech ecosystem. It is open to Scotland-based fintech firms or established financial institutions with a substantial presence in Scotland that have launched a standalone fintech enabled product or service. The submission should demonstrate how the nominee has innovated using technology to drive sustainable business value, eg challenge traditional financial models or improve customer outcomes, and strengthen Scotland’s position as a global fintech hub.
Nominees will be judged on their ability to demonstrate any, or all, of the following:
Scalability & economic impact: evidence of product/service commercial traction in any geographic market, revenue growth, successful funding rounds, or the creation of high-value jobs within Scotland.
Disruption of traditional services: demonstrating a unique "fintech innovation" approach to solving industry or customer pain points—such as frictionless payments, open banking, meeting regulatory requirements, or decentralised finance – that offers clear benefits for customers.
Customer-centric design: Exceptional use of technology to enhance customer/user experience, improve financial accessibility, enable inclusivity or provide services to underserved demographics.
Industry collaboration: successful engagement in the ecosystem, eg with fintechs, new providers and established businesses, or active contribution to the Scottish fintech community through adoption, knowledge sharing and mentorship.
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The winner of this award should be somebody in the early stages of their career path in financial or professional services, who’s already having an impact.
Nominations will be judged on:
Evidence of outstanding potential and development in the early stages of their career
Impact that goes beyond their own personal career to promote the industry and its role in wider society.
Evidence of context and having overcome barriers may be considered
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The Chair’s Award will be presented where the judging panel feels a nominee is deserving across all categories and best demonstrates sectors our positive impact on society.
All nominations put forward for the other award categories will automatically be considered.
In addition to choosing from nominations put forward for other award categories, firms are also welcome to nominate a programme, organisation or individual as a contender within the Chair’s Award category instead - if they feel the achievements span a number of other award categories, don’t quite fit within the existing categories, or they believe it transcends the definitions/restrictions outlined in the other categories above.